Single Parent. Am I Crazy?

Am I crazy

  • Yes

    Votes: 19 79.2%
  • No

    Votes: 5 20.8%

  • Total voters
    24

nibake

Powder hound
After many years of writing off the airlines as something I didn't want to do, I have started to rethink that stance. I'm very interested in starting to fly at a regional, but there is a lot I don't understand about the schedule. I thought this would be a better place to get answers (and maybe to be called crazy) then say, talking to a recruiter, although I have done that.

I have a child who is about to turn 5. I am a single parent. The grandparents have offered to help, but I still need to fill in a lot of pieces as to what this would actually look like.

I understand that new hires can expect to be on reserve or "on call" for some time. With more seniority, one can bid bases, lines, and time off. (Stop me if I'm misunderstanding something). When you can bid lines, does that still mean you will be gone for days at a time, or are there lines that take you out and back to your base on the same day? Would the 2-5 day trips be something that goes away after a while or something that I would have for the rest of my career?

Scenario 1: I try to get scheduled for 2 weeks on and 2 off. Child stays with grandparents the entire time I'm on and with me for my block of days off. This would be ok for some time, but obviously not forever, hence my previous question.

Scenario 2: Child stays with me in base. This means when I get a call child has to a babysitter within the hour and may be there for several days. I imagine there are a lot of childcare options available in bases since they are all metros, but this extreme scenario seems like it might be tough. Also, if I were able to find such an arrangement, it could be hard on my child. Child does excellent with different people and babysitters and is used to a lot of this, after having been raised in a single parent home for over 2 years, but even so, this seems like it may be a stretch. I can see this working out would be if the caregiver(s) were literally "like" family.

Has anyone done this? Is it feasible? Is the scheduling and sacrifice of airline flying temporary, or permanent?
 
The only places I've seen that have trips that start and end each day in base are freight feeders and small commuters like Cape Air. In the regionals I knew people that bid lines of stand ups (last flight out of base, first flight back) but I don't know if those exist at the majors. The vast majority of lines are made up of 3 and 4 day trips where you're on the road the whole time.

As a single parent of a 5 year old there's no way I'd go back to the airlines right now but I know there's a couple here that do it. @mshunter
 
The only way I see this even remotely working is the first scenario, but you won't be doing 2 on/2 off with a 121, more like 4 days on 2 off, and less if you have to commute (which you will unless you can get based in the city where grandma and grandpa live. About the only places I know that do that are some of the 135s in Alaska.
 
No, you're not crazy. But you had better be willing to commute to wherever you can hold, and get a custody agreement that matches your lifestyle.

It ain't easy.
 
Sorry for my ignorance, but what exactly does this mean?
But you had better be willing to commute to wherever you can hold
Does that mean take whatever base has the lowest seniority just so I can have consistency in what line I fly, even if it is 3-4 days at a time? And when you say to commute, that implies that I wouldn't really make my base home? I am not terribly familiar with how the bidding of lines and scheduling works.

As to the custody agreement, that is not a problem.
 
[QUOTE="nibake, post: 2672661, member: 34488"
Has anyone done this? Is it feasible? Is the scheduling and sacrifice of airline flying temporary, or permanent?[/QUOTE]

If you can live in base someplace that mostly does out and backs, it could be feasible.. But that is more the exception than the rule. Allegiant here from KPIE it might almost be feasible.
 
Silver advertises it's flying as day trips/spend the night home - but that's if you are in FL.

Talked to a neighbor today, she ended up being a single mom with three boys ages from 5 mos to few years while on her way to airlines. Switched to IT.
 
Sorry for my ignorance, but what exactly does this mean?

Does that mean take whatever base has the lowest seniority just so I can have consistency in what line I fly, even if it is 3-4 days at a time? And when you say to commute, that implies that I wouldn't really make my base home? I am not terribly familiar with how the bidding of lines and scheduling works.

As to the custody agreement, that is not a problem.

Sometimes holding a line outside of base is more beneficial than being on reserve and living in base.

I used to commute from LAX to ATL. It was a nightmare, and I was always worn out.
 
I looooove FL
But wife works in Chicago
So I work in FL and spend weekends in Chi. Wish it was the other way around )))
 
Where do you live? Grandparents in the same location?

The real answer to your question lies in where you live and who you fly for. Answers to both of those questions will paint you a much clearer picture of what you are trying to accomplish.
 
Where do you live? Grandparents in the same location?

Nearest base is MSP. That would be a great place for me to live. Gpas live about 2.5 hours from MSP.

From what I have gathered so far that would require some commuting no matter what. It looks like Skywest is the only big regional that has MSP as a junior base. Endeavor said it was their most senior base. I have also been looking into Envoy, the massive signing bonus looks nice, and the buddy passes which Endeavor doesn't have would be a huge plus, as I have family that lives in Europe.

But before I get too far down that road I have to figure out the logistics mentioned earlier in this thread. Being on reserve or not, it sounds like 3-4 day trips are part of the reality and will continue to be for the foreseeable future. Maybe 20 years from now I could be at a major doing the same line to some international destination and back? It wouldn't matter, though, unless I had more younger children!

It seems like I would have to find a 24/7 daycare/babysitter/nanny, (or spouse, that would be great, too) and accept the reality of the "road trips," for the foreseeable future, or go someplace like Silver. It sounds to me like the schedule is not intense, and there would still be much quality time to be had, but without solid blocks of time off, the grandparents wouldn't be able to be in the picture very much since they live out of "on call" range of any base.
 
Last edited:
I have a child who is about to turn 5. I am a single parent. The grandparents have offered to help, but I still need to fill in a lot of pieces as to what this would actually look like.



Scenario 2: Child stays with me in base. This means when I get a call child has to a babysitter within the hour and may be there for several days. I imagine there are a lot of childcare options available in bases since they are all metros, but this extreme scenario seems like it might be tough. Also, if I were able to find such an arrangement, it could be hard on my child. Child does excellent with different people and babysitters and is used to a lot of this, after having been raised in a single parent home for over 2 years, but even so, this seems like it may be a stretch. I can see this working out would be if the caregiver(s) were literally "like" family.

Has anyone done this? Is it feasible? Is the scheduling and sacrifice of airline flying temporary, or permanent?


To have that kind of flexibility with a baby sitter would realistically mean that you need to hire a full time nanny at $3000/month I would guess.

I'm a single parent of a 12 year old, but I live in Asia. I have two nannies that I alternate with. One costs me $1000/month and the other $1500/month. Both are highly educated; have grown children of their own; and have previously worked as teachers, but it's Asia and what I pay is considered very good money.

If I were you, living in the USA I would look more at corporate job where you can be home every night.
 
To have that kind of flexibility with a baby sitter would realistically mean that you need to hire a full time nanny at $3000/month I would guess.

I'm a single parent of a 12 year old, but I live in Asia. I have two nannies that I alternate with. One costs me $1000/month and the other $1500/month. Both are highly educated; have grown children of their own; and have previously worked as teachers, but it's Asia and what I pay is considered very good money.

If I were you, living in the USA I would look more at corporate job where you can be home every night.

Or move to Asia!
 
CFII, CFI-A, SEL SES
All times approximate
TT 1425
Actual/sim 70
Night 80
X/C (50nm) 425
Tailwheel 350
High performance ~300
Landings ~3000
Dual given 800-900
Multi - 0

I also have a part 137 chief pilot endorsement, not that it counts for anything here. About will have bachelor's in aviation complete within a year doing online classes.
 
Last edited:
You qualify for left seat in the C208 at Grand Canyon Scenic Airways. 135 ops, home every night, Vegas or Page, AZ, CASS, 44k+benefits, and one helluva view everyday. Check the orange site(Climbto350)

a19b5030e77bfc72c470a18a6e7f6d92_you-can-do-anything-you-want-funny-you-can-do-it-memes_525-366.jpeg
 
Back
Top